Tabeguache Peak: The Shavano traverse companion

Tabeguache Peak is the second summit of the Shavano-Tabeguache traverse. The peaks share an east-side trailhead, a long approach, and a connecting Class 2 ridge — the pair is one of the most-efficient 14er doubles in the southern Sawatch.

The peak at a glance

• Elevation: 14,162 ft (4,317 m)
• Rank in Colorado: 26th of 56 peaks above 14,000 ft
• Range: Sawatch Range
• County: Chaffee County
• Coordinates: 38.6256° N, 106.2497° W
• Standard route: Traverse from Mount Shavano (Class 2) — combined Shavano-Tabeguache 11 mi RT
• Public land: San Isabel National Forest

How Tabeguache Peak got its name

The peak is named for the Tabeguache Ute band — one of the major Ute groups whose homeland centered on the upper Arkansas Valley and the western slope of the Sawatch. The Tabeguache, along with the Mouache, Capote, Weeminuche, and Yampa bands, were displaced from much of Colorado after the 1881 forced removal that followed the Meeker Incident. The peak's name preserves a recognition of the people who knew this country first.

The standard route

From the summit of Mount Shavano, descend northwest to the connecting saddle and climb back up the Class 2 ridge to Tabeguache. About a mile of traversing — easy walking on solid talus, no exposure of consequence.

When to climb

The Colorado fourteener climbing season is short. The standard window runs from late June through mid-September — after the snow has melted off the trail and before the first serious autumn storm. Outside that window, you're committing to a winter ascent: snow travel, avalanche assessment, post-holing through drifts, and route-finding without a visible trail.

Inside the window, the rule that has saved more Colorado lives than any other is be off the summit by noon. Afternoon convective storms build over the high peaks almost daily in July and August. Lightning is the leading weather killer in the Rockies. Plan for a pre-dawn start — most experienced climbers leave the trailhead between 4:00 and 5:30 AM.

Where it sits

What climbers wish they'd known

The return over Shavano. Climbing back over Shavano on the way out is the day's hidden cost. Plan for it.

Before you go

A 14er is a long, exposed day at altitude. Read these first if you haven't already:

• Planning your first multi-day backpacking trip — same logistics apply to a long single-day summit push.
• How to choose the right trail difficulty — converting class ratings into honest fitness estimates.
• Leave No Trace, in one minute — alpine tundra heals on a geological clock. Stay on the trail.

Looking for the standard route on the map? Browse Colorado trails on the Outdoors App or jump to the Near Me view if you're already in-state.

If you liked this peak

• Mount Shavano — the traverse start
• Mount Antero — the aquamarine peak nearby
• Mount Princeton — the Collegiate showpiece

Hero photograph: Tabeguache Peak in the Sawatch Range, Chaffee County, Colorado. by John Sowell, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.